Street outlet box for electrical connections



' Feb. 9, 193 2. R, BLE SO 1,843,969

STREET OUTLET BOX FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS Filed Sept. 8, 1930 Patented Feb. 9, 1932 PATENT OFFICE ROCCO BLESSO, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT srnnn'r OUTLET BOX roa ELEc'rmcAL CONNECTIONS Application filed September 8, 1930. Serial No. 480,320.

The present invention relates generally to an outlet box adapted to be embedded in a street or the like and containing an electrical connection, such as a plug or socket, to

which is adapted to be detachably associated an electrical plug connected to the removable instrumentality adapted to be lighted. As an instance of a use to which the present invention may be applied, reference may be had to a traffic or highway signal of the sort having a base adapted to rest upon the ground and over the outlet box, and a standard arising from the base and carrying at its upper end a traffic signal provided 1 with lighting means electrically connected to a detachable plug. It is desirable with traffic signals of this sort tohave them so constructed that they can be very quickly positioned in place within the street and removed therefrom.

The aim of the present invention is to provide an outlet box for electrical connections which has various features of novelty and advantage and which is particularly characterized by its serviceability, by its simplicity in construction and arrangement, by. the ease and facility with which the electrical connections may be made and broken, by its ability to stand up under the excessive jars and strains to which'it is subjected, and

v by its abilityto withstand weather conditions of all sorts. t

More particularly, the aimof the invention is to provide a street outlet box with a service cover adapted to be associated with the housing in the street in such manner as to provide a water-tight joint which will prevent water, slush, snow,or ice from finding its way into the box and interfering with'the electrical connections therein, while at the same time this cover is so arranged and constructed that the connection between the socket within the box and the detachable plug can be easily and quickly made and broken.

' In accordance with the present invention,

there is also provided a cap adapted to close the upper end of the housing when not in use, and this cap is so associated with the box as to provide a water-tight joint. The hous ing and the cap are so constructed and arranged as to withstand the strains and shocks to which they are subjected by vehicles as they pass thereover.

Briefly, my invention consists of a pipelike box or housing embedded in a street and having an internal shoulder on which a socket or receptacle is supported. The line wires lead upwardly through the housing to the socket. The service cover has an upstanding sleeve portion adapted to extend a considerable distance above the street surface in order to form a dam which will prevent any accumulation of water upon the street surface from finding its way into the housing. Through this upstanding sleeve, the detachable plug is adapted to be inserted and withdrawn. have cooperating camlike ribs which are adapted to be engaged by giving a. partial rotation to the'cover, and when these ribs are interengaged the cover is very securely held in place, and a gasket between the cover and the housin is subjected to such pressure as to form a uid type joint. The cap is likewise adapted to be associated with the housing within the street so as to effectively close the upper end of the housing when it is not desired to use electrical connections. This cap stands but a slight distance above the street surface, and it is so related to the upper end of the housing that trafiic may pass thereover without causing any injury.

Otherobjects will be in part obvious, and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will after set forth. and the scope of the application of which M lll be indicated in the appended. claims. v

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have shown, for illustrative purposes, one embodiment which the present invention may take, Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing my improved outlet box and an associated plug;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of The service cover and the housing I I be exemplified in the construction hereinnotes generally a pipelike having a cylindrical body or pipe portion the upper end of the housing adapted to be embedded in the street;

Figure 3 a side elevational-view of the service cover; and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the cap in place on the housing.

Referring to the drawin in detail, Adeli ousing or casing provided at its upper end with an enlarged portion 11. By enlarging the u per portion of the housing, there is provide an internal circular shoulder 12 adapted to support the electrical receptacle or socket, as hereinafter describedmore in detail. About the upper end portion 11 of the casing is an external circumferential rib or flange 13, the under surface of which is flat and the upper surface of which is inclined upwardly and inwardly,

as at 14, so as to provide a beveled edge. At the upper end of the casing or housing A are internal ribs 15, the under surfaces 16 of which aresliglitly inclined so as to constitute cams. In the present instance, there are two such cams oppositely spaced and inclined in the same circumferential direction. The lower end of the casing has a bottom 17 provided with a threaded opening adapted to re ceive the upper threaded end'of a pi e 18 through which the line wires 19 are le Any suitable electrical receptacle may be -and'contains spring contact members 29, re-

spectively connected to the leading wires 19. The socket is held in place by a supporting plate 30 resting upon a ledge at the upper end of the cup 25. The inner edge of this plate engages between the body 28 of the socket and an insulating cap 31. A further description of the electrical receptacle is not necessary, it being suflicient to point out that it is supported from the ledge or' shoulder 12 of the housing, and it has the usual contacts with which the contacts or prongs of an electrical plug are adapted to engage. This detachable plug is shown in Figure 1 more or less diagrammatically, and has a body portion 32 with prongs 33. The prongs 33 are connected to wires 34 which lead to a traffic sign or other instrumentality to be lighted.

The service 'cover is designated generally by the letter B, and it has a circular body portion 40 from which arises a centrally disposedvertical sleeve 41 open at each end and of suflicient diameter to permit the detachable plug 32 to be passed therethrough. I, Extending downwardly from/the body portion of the cover is a circular skirt 42 adapted to extend into the upper end of the casing A, and.

having on its external periphery ribs 43, the upper surfaces 44 of which are inclined oppositely to the surfaces 16 of the ribs 15. The ribs 43 constitute cams which are complementary to the cams 15 and adapted to interlock therewith. The service cover also has a circumferential flange 45, the under surface .with circumferential grooves 48 adapted to receive portions of the gasket, when the latter is compressed, so as to form a better fluidtype joint.

When the signaling apparatus or other instrumentality to be illuminated has been removed, it is desirable to close the outlet in the street, and to this end the cap C shown in Figure 4 is provided. This cover has a depending skirt 60 provided with ribs or cams 61 which are identical to, and which have the same function as, the cams or ribs 43 of the service cover. The cap has a circumferential flange 62 (corres onding to the flange 46 of the service cover between which and the top of the "housing the gasket 47 is clamped. The peripheral edge of the flange 62 is beveled or rounded, and its diameter corresponds generally to the diameter of the upper edge of the bevel 14 of the housing, so that the periphery of this cap and the upper exposed portion of the housing merge into one another without an appreciable shoulder or abrupt break. This arrangement is of advantage, as it will permit the wheels of vehicles, and particularly heavy wagons and the like, to easily ride over the outlet box without injuring the same, or causing undue noise. o

Assuming that it is desired to use the outlet box in connection with a removable traflic signaling apparatus, in order to set up such apparatus it is rolled over to the outlet box in the middle of the street, the cap C is removed by giving it a partial turn in order to disenga e the ribs 61from theribs 15, and the cap is ifted from position. The cap may have a polygonal centralrecess 63 toreceive the end of a wrench forv the urpose of turning the cap into, and out of locking position. The plug 32 may then be inserted through the service cover B and engaged with the contacts 29 of the socket 28. The operator then secures the service cover B in place by giving it a partial turn so as to' engage the ribs 43 below the ribs 15. The sleeve 41 constitutes a handle which may be gripped when so turning the service cover. When the service covaseaeee .2.

er is finally in place a fluid-type oint is provided between that cover and the housing by the, gasket 47 so that sleet, water, and the like cannot find access into the outlet. The sleeve 41 provides an upstanding dam which Wlll prevent sleet, 'water or the like from flowing through the central hole in the service cover in the event of a heavy rainfall or a sleet storm. When it is desired to remove the apparatus, this may be quickly done, which is a feature of importance, particularly in cases of emergency, as when it is desired to clear the street for fire apparatus. To remove the apparatus, it is merely necessary to pull out the plug 32, detach the service cover B, insert the capC into the housing,

' give the cap a partial turn, and then roll the signaling apparatus out of the street. All of this requires but a very short time, possibly a minute.

I It will be observed from the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that my improved arrangement rovides a very simple yet effective outlet box or electrical connections, and one in which the enclosed electrical means are protected against weather conditions at all times.

The electrical connections may be very quickly and easily made and broken.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter chntained in the above description or'shown in the accompanying drawings shall be inend, the upper end of said housing having internal circumferentially spaced ribs the under surfaces of which are inclined, an electrical receptacle supported on and suspended from said shoulder, a closure member adapted to close the upper end of said housing and having a skirt provided with external circumferentially spaced ribs complementary to and adapted to interlock with said first receptacle supported. from said shoulder' within said housing, and a closure member adapted to close the upper end of said housing and having a cylindrical skirt extending thereinto, said skirt having external'circumferentally spaced ribs complementary to and adapted to interlock with said first ribs, said closure member having a flange adapted to overlie the upper end of said housing and having its cylindrical edge merging into said beveled rib, and a gasket between said housing and flange.

4. In a street outlet box for electrical connections, and in combination, a generally cyterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting 1i di 1 i qik h i h i g t-it sense.

It is also to be understood that the lariguage used in the following claims is inten ed to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scone of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

-What is claimed is:

1. A street outlet box for electrical connections, and in combination, a housing adapted to be located in the street and having adjacent its upper end internal circumferentially spaced inclined ribs constituting cams, an electrical receptacle within and supported by said housing below the upper end thereof,

. and a closure member adapted to close the circular closure member having a depending skirt adapted to fitin the upper end of said housing and provided with said external circumferentially spaced ribs complementary and adaptedto interlock with said first ribs, said closure member also having a flange adapted to overlie the upper end of said casing, and a. gasket between the upper end of said casing and flange.

5. In combination, a housing for electrical connections and having adjacent its upper end internal circumferentially spaced ribs constituting cams, an electrical receptacle within said housing, a service cover having a. disklike body portion with a central upstanding sleeve open at both ends, said cover having a depending skirt provided with exterior ROCCO BLESSO. 

